O'Mygoodness Irish Soda Bread

I'll be the first one to admit that I took this recipe a tad over the edge for St. Patrick's Day.

I turned a perfectly good Irish soda bread into a bright (and possibly unappetizing) color of green, and I did it ON PURPOSE! LOL.

All it took was a few artfully scattered drops of green food coloring into the buttermilk and a simple stir.

The recipe (found on page 214 of Baking with Julia) could not be simpler to make.  In it's original form, it only has 4 ingredients.  Flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk.  I of course, added the green food color, some minced onion, a pinch of sugar, some onion powder and a dash or two of black pepper.

I'll bet your dying to see how it turned out???  Maybe you'll be green with envy or maybe you'll be green in the gills (or maybe you'll just question my sanity).

Ready???  Here goes...........

In any case, even though it looked rather odd on our dinner plates along with the corned beef, green peas, green sauteed cabbage and green mashed potatoes (yes, I AM insane, LOL) the flavor was O'Mazing! (Irish humor). The crust was hearty and crunchy and the inside was tender and soft with a lovely texture. 

It certainly was a meal that no one with forget anytime soon and I'll bet everyone thought of me the next day too (if you know what I mean).  A good hostess has that effect on people :)

If you'd like to see the actual recipe for this wonderful tasting Irish Soda Bread, you need to go check out our hosts' blog postings for their take on this easy and classic side dish.  A big thank you goes out to Cathy of My Culinary Mission and Carla of Chocolate Moosey for choosing this traditional recipe that I could really have some fun with.

O'Mygoodness Irish Soda Bread

Happy Birthday Mom & Apricot Rugelach

It's time again for another round of  "Baking With Julia" (from the cookbook of the same name) written by Dorie Greenspan.  My baking buddies are the gang from TWD (Tuesday's With Dorie).

This week's recipe for rugelach was chosen and hosted by Margaret of The Urban Hiker and Jessica of My Baking Heart check out their links for the actual recipe.

I've never made rugelach before and while I found this cookie recipe to be slightly time consuming with many steps, I also found the process to be highly enjoyable and I was excited to see my version of these rolled cookies come to fruition.

I'm not a huge fan of dried fruits or apricots, but my mom is.  Since we were hosting and celebrating her birthday dinner here at my house, I decided I'd tailor these to my mom's tastes and likings and use the apricot filling along with some dried blueberries, cranberries and additional apricots. 

Some of you will notice that I rolled and cut my cookies in the wrong (if there is a wrong way) direction from what was shown in the book, making mine quite a bit wider and flatter than a traditional rugelach cookie.  I also omitted the egg wash glaze and substituted some brushed melted butter right before baking.  Is that so wrong?

From here I'll take to you the photo montage of how my rugelach came together with little caption:

Two days in advance of making my rugelach, I made my own apricot lekvar and added a small pinch of salt and a 1/2 t. cinnamon to the mixture.

The next day I prepare my cream cheese pastry dough (page 325) according to the recipe and wrap it to chill in the fridge for several hours.

While the dough gets it's chill on, I prepare the topping and the dried fruit filling.  To the topping of cinnamon and brown sugar I decide to add a pinch (or two) of cardamom and nutmeg.  I then reconstituted the dried cranberries and blueberries by letting them sit in boiling water for approximately 5 minutes to soften.

When the dough is properly chilled, it's time to roll, trim, fill and freeze before slicing and baking.

Bake, cool, stack like a birthday cake and serve...

                                    HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

 I'm SO happy to have my parents back in Illinois, I can hardly tell you!!!  I love them both very much!!!

And so I end this post on a sweet note...

Please visit me again as I travel through the "Baking With Julia" cookbook with the Tuesdays With Dorie (TWD) gang.  Next up we'll be making Irish Soda Bread (page 214) just in time for St. Patrick's day!

If you're interested in joining in on the baking fun, it's easy to sign up and get started. The more bakers, the merrier!

Happy Birthday Mom & Apricot Rugelach

St. Patrick's Day Sourdough Rye Bread

If you're looking for something a little different to serve on St. Paddy's day that isn't the same old Irish soda bread, now is the time to start planning ahead and get your own sourdough starter going.  As long as you have *5 days* to prepare the quick and simple starter before the big day,  I just so happen to have the perfect recipe for you to add to your St. Patrick's Day dinner table.

ST. PATRICK'S SOUR DOUGH RYE BREAD WITH DILL

3 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
2 cups dark rye flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon ground mustard
 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
 3/4 cup warm water (120-130 degrees
1 cups of sourdough starter (made *5 days* in advance)

-In a large bowl (I used my stand mixer bowl), combine the all purpose flour, rye flour, salt, pepper, minced onion, brown sugar, caraway seeds, dry mustard and yeast.

-Add the 3/4 cups warm water and the sourdough starter and using a dough hook (or by hand using a wooden spoon) mix until all the ingredients come together.
-Add the fresh dill and, using the dough hook on medium speed, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, approximately 5 minutes.  (If mixing by hand, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, approximately 10-12 minutes).

-Transfer the kneaded dough into a bowl that has been lightly oiled with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap.
-Place the dough in a warm place (I use my oven that I heated to 270 degrees for 5 minutes and then allowed to cool slightly), until doubled.  Approximately 1 hour.
-When the dough has risen, divide it in half and shape into 2 small, or one large loaf (I just used my hands and rolled and shaped the dough on a lightly floured surface).

-Place your dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and return the dough back into it's warm place for the final rise.  This should take another 60 minutes.

-After the final rise, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake your bread for 40-45 minutes until it sounds hallow when tapped and has a nice golden color on the crust.
-Allow your bread to cool slightly on the baking sheet and then move the bread to a cooling rack until you're ready to serve, or *freeze* (if needed).

*NOTE - If freezing, allow the bread to cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap so it won't become soggy.  When serving from frozen, allow the loaves to thaw completely, remove the plastic wrap and then wrap the bread in aluminum foil and heat for 10 minutes at 350 degrees for that fresh baked taste.

-Slice and serve because this must be YOUR LUCKY DAY!!!

May the luck of the Irish be with you today and always!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

St. Patrick's Day Sourdough Rye Bread

Black Bean Soup - Secret Recipe Club

 I'm going to let you in on a little secret.  For this month's Secret Recipe Club (SRC as it's so fondly referred) I was assigned an amazing blog named Chocolate and Chillies. Yum, right?

The author and recipe developer of this blog is Asiya who is a stay at home mom with two young children.  The first thing I noticed when I went to her blog (to scout it out) is the wide array of recipes she has to choose from.  Asiya is not afraid of bold flavors and she has many recipes that are unusual (to me). She makes me want to step out of my comfort zone of cooking and try many of the ones that she is so kindly willing to share.  I will be back Asiya!!!

This month however I went with a pretty basic Black Bean Soup recipe that she had posted.  Asiya had found her original inspiration on allrecipes.com  and had adapted her recipe to what she had on hand. Upon reading through her recipe, I realized that I too had most of the ingredients already on hand in my fridge and pantry.   Ding! Ding! Ding!

Here is my adaptation of Asiya's Black Bean Soup and my take on her recipe.  I made quite a few *additions* to her original recipe  (not because it really needed it, just because I can't seem to stop myself). 
This soup was hearty, slightly spicy and extremely flavorful.  I'm all about textures in food and this soup is loaded with them.

BLACK BEAN SOUP

1 pound lean ground beef*
2 - 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed.
2 tablespoons olive oil*
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon smoked* cumin powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander*
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika*
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes*
2 bay leaves*
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup frozen corn
1 cup beef stock*
1 tablespoon lime zest and the juice of one small lime*
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or cilantro paste*
3 flour tortillas, cut in strips and baked, for garnish* (optional)
olive oil spray* (optional)
1 Avocado, diced, for garnish* (optional)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese for garnish* (optional)
sour cream for garnish* (optional)

-In a large stock pot, over medium high heat, add the olive oil and brown the ground beef until still slightly pink.
-Add the minced garlic and onion and cook until the onions become translucent.
-Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, red pepper flakes, bay leaves. Stir to combine and cook for approximately 1 minute.
-Lower the heat to medium and add the diced tomatoes, frozen corn, beef stock and black beans.
-Add the salt and pepper.
-Cover the pot and allow to simmer on the stove for approximately 1/2 hour to blend the flavors.

-Meanwhile, slice the tortillas and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray the strips with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
-Bake the tortilla strips in a 325 degree oven, watching them carefully so they don't burn. (approximately 5-7 minutes).

-Right before service, add the cilantro and lime zest and juice.
-Remove the bay leaves.
-Ladle up your soup in bowls and garnish with the tortilla strips, avocados, cheese and sour cream if you wish.

Thank you so much for the inspiration for this wonderful recipe Asiya! I love your blog and plan on visiting more often to try your recipes.  This one was a certain hit!!!

To see more delicious recipes created and shared by other SRC members, click away and enjoy!!!

 

Black Bean Soup - Secret Recipe Club

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about how I make my basic chicken stock.  At the very bottom of that post was the teaser of this recipe for my homemade chicken noodle soup.

I decided to save the posting of this recipe so it could run in conjunction with this year's  #soupapalooza which is hosted by two very lovely ladies, Kristen of Dine and Dish and Cheryl of Tidy Mom   What makes #soupapalooza even more exciting this year is that it's being sponsored by some of cooking and bakings "cream of the crop" for all things delicious in your kitchen:  Kitchen Aid,  Red Star Yeast, and  Le Creuset! WOW!!!

Let it be known, you do not need to make your own chicken stock to make this soup.  There are some amazing stocks and broths in the market so if you'd like to substitute your favorite brand, be my guest! (I won't tell a soul).

Also, when I cook I like to make enough to feed a small army.  If you'd like to make this soup in smaller batches, just cut back on the ingredients.  However, this soup freezes beautifully so why not make it all?  Serve some now, save some for later...

HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

4 quarts of chicken stock (homemade or store bought)
1/2 pound of bacon, cut in pieces and cooked to your desired crispness and drained
1 pound (or more) cooked chicken meat (rotisserie chickens work great for this), chopped or shredded
1- 1 pound package of dried egg noodles (frozen egg noodles work great too)
1 large onion, peeled and diced
4-5 carrots, peeled and diced
3-4 ribs of celery, diced
2 tablespoons butter
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper

 -In a large skillet, melt the butter. Then add, and lightly saute the carrots, onion and celery for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

-Add in the cooked bacon and the chicken meat and continue to cook an additional few moments until a bit more fat is rendered from the bacon.

-Transfer this mixture to a large stock pot and add the chicken broth.
-Add in the bay leaves, salt and pepper.
-Turn heat to medium and allow the soup to come to a low simmer.
-Continue to simmer for approximately 20 minutes for so all the flavors can meld.

-Carefully drop in the egg noodles and continue to cook until the noodles are done.

*Note - The longer the noodles sit in the broth, the more plump they will become.  I like a nice plump soup noodle, so I let them simmer longer so the broth is reduced by quite a bit.  If you like your soup with more broth, don't let your noodles sit as long in the broth before serving.

 -Remove the bay leaves and serve with warm crusty bread :)

 Mmmm. Mmmmm. Gooood!!!

Thanks for the opportunity to link up with #soupapalooza this year Cheryl and Kristen.  I can't wait to see all the other wonderful recipes that will be involved in this years festivities!

Until we eat again,
Renée

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup